Door-closing mechanism.



J. HASENPFLUG.

DOOR CLOSING MECHANISM.

APPUCATION FILED APR. 29, 1909.

LlfiLUYfi. Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

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JOHN HASENPFLUG, 0F GENEVA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CHAMPION SAFETY LOCKCOMPANY, OF GENEVA, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

DOOR-CLOSING MEGHANISHVI.

Application filed April 29, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Joi-IN HASENPFLUG, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Geneva, in the county of Ashtabula and Stateof Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDoor-Closing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in door checks and springs, and isshown herein, in connection with a liquid door check operating against asuitable fluid-pressure medium, such as oil or glycerin, although saidinvention does not relate to this feature, but rather to thespring-actuating mechanism and the means for adjusting the same.

In certain types of door checks and springs which have been sold in thepast, the provision of a double acting spring wound alternatively fromeither end has in volved the connection of the actuating lever-arm withexterior members upon the cover as by ratchet mechanism or engagingparts which require adjustment. These, be-

ing situated exterior of the casing, are liable to gather dirt, to bemisadjusted or term pered with, and not infrequently are broken. In myimproved device, I have simplified the construction by connecting onlythe spindle with the lever arm, and have assooiated with said spindle,suitable clutch mechanism adapted to wind the spring in eitherdirection. In connection with one of said clutch members, whichfor thesake of simplifying the parts, the casingcover preferably forms oneelement, I have provided adjusting means, whereby the tension of theactuating spring may readily be regulated. Details of these improvementswill best be gathered by making reference to the accompanying sheet ofdrawings, where1n:

Figure I illustrates in vertical and longi tudinal cross section thepreferred embodiment of my invention Fig. II shows the device with thespring casing partially broken away and the spring in section. Fig. IIIis a view of a modified type of door closing mechanism. Figs. IV and Vrespec-' tively are top and bottom views of the upper clutch member ofthe preferred embodiment. Fig. VI is a top view of the adjust ing meansand cover of Fig. III. Fig. VII shows in perspective the middle clutchmember. Fig. VIII shows the bottom clutch member employed in both typesof door Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.. Serial No. 492,827.

spring; and Fig. IX is a view partially broken away illustrating theadjusting means provided for the upper clutch member in the device ofFig. III.

Throughout each of the several figures of the drawings, I have indicatedsimilar parts by the same character of reference.

With the exception of the upper clutch member and its adjusting means,the diflen ent types of device herein shown are exactly the same. Thechecking mechanism proper is of any suitable type and'may well conformto that shown in the patent to Blount, No. 458,357, August 25, 1891.

The casing comprises an upper spring casinga, and a lower cylindricalmember 6, wherein piston c is adapted to be actuated. The latter isprovided with one or more ball-valves 0" opening outwardly, and theplston is connected directly with a crank arm 0? upon the spindle cl, bymeans of a link a. The escape of the fluid from in front of the pistonis regulated by a screw Z2 controlling the passage 12, while the spindleis adapted to be rotated in either direction by means of a lever-arm(not shown) suitably connected with a door; all as will be wellunderstood by those conversant with the art.

Within the spring chamber a; is a helical spring 0 having hooked ends atthe top and bottom, and the cross section of said springbody preferablyis oval. The spindle passes through the center of the spring chamber anda suitable gland or packing d; and is squared throughout its upperportion to receive, both the actuating clutch member or dog f, and thelever arm for rotating said spindle.

At the bottom of the spring chamber and engaging the lower end of thespring 6, is located the bottom clutch member 9, which normally iswithheld from rotation in a clockwise direction, by means of a stop orstud g screwed into the floor of the spring chamber. The lug 7 upon thedog f, engages a corresponding lug or extension 9 upon the bottom clutchmember, and is adapted to rotate the same in a contraclockwise directionagainst the tension of the spring a. In accordance with my improvedconstruction, the dog 7 alone rotates in either direction with thespindle, while the lower clutch member 9 is rotatably mounted about thestufling boX, and the rotatable clutch member h and cover j of the upperclutch mechanism, are loose upon and permit the free rotation of thespindle therein in a contraclockwise direction.

The upper clutch mechanism, as stated, preferably constitutes as well,the cover or closure-part for the spring chamber, and includes adjustingmeans for the spring, as will now be described in detail. Within thebore of the upper clutch member h (Fig. I),

is provided a spring 2' which encircles the spindle d, and is adapted torotate said clutch member h in a contraclockwise direction with respectto the cover, to the end that a release of the screw h forminganadjusting detent for effecting the adjustment of spring 6, will hold theclutch member in position against stopa upon the casing, and permit thecover j to be turned, inorder to secure proper tension upon said spring6. This is accomplished by rotating said cover through'a greater or lessare to increase (or diminish), as required, the distance'between the lugj engaging the upper end of the spring and the extension h" upon saidclutch member h. At the left-hand end of dogf, is provided an upperextension or lug f, which is adapted to engage theextension or fin kupon the member h, carrying the arm or extension h, and thereby servingto rotate said member and the connected cover j as a whole against thetension of springe, when the spindle is turned in a clockwise direction.

With reference to the modification shown in Fig. III, it is seen thatthe principles of operation are exactly the same as with thedevicealready explained, except that a separate adjusting member 70passes through the; cover j, and engages the upper clutch member it.These two parts; are respectively formed with engaging recesses andshoulders lo 70', which permit of their assemblage in the positionshownin Fig. III upon either side of the cover, with the upper clutchmember h in engagement with the middle clutch member f. The adjustmentin an analogous manner, is eifected by rotating the supplemental coveror adjusting member is with respect to cover 3', which in turn rotatesthe clutch member h with respect to lug j upon cover 3', whereupon theparts are secured together by means of the pin 10 engaging suitableholes arranged in an are upon the cover j. Accordingly, with either ofthese types of spring'adjustment, it is seen that merely by turning thecover 7' by means of a suitable spanner engaging lugs Z thereon, forexample, in a clockwise direction, meanwhile retaining the clutch memberh with its arm or extension i in engagement with the lug a upon thecasing, will serve to secure the relative adjustment, and increase ordiminish the are between said arm it" and the lug j attached'to theupper end of spring e. The parts are held in the desired position ofadjustment and the spring thereby placed under the required initialtension, by means of a suitable screw or pin, as indicated.

Inasmuch as I have provided no small exterior parts for engagement withthe lever arm, but have retained the operative mechanism entirely withinthe spring casing, and as a part of the clutch mechanism, it is apparentthat my improved device is not likely to be interfered with or broken,while the adjustment is so simple and direct, that no difficulty isexperienced in altering the tension of the spring.

Havingnow explained the preferred embodiments of my invention, I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, the following 1. In adoor check and closer, the combination with suitable checking means, ofa spindle connected to actuate the same when rotated in eitherdirection, a casing, a sprin therein indirectly connected at either endwith said spindle, clutch mechanism for effectingsuch connection,comprising a central dog and upper and lower clutch mechanism adapted tobe alternatively actuated thereby and connected respectively with thecorresponding ends of said spring; a portion of the upper clutchmechanism constituting a cover for the casing and having an associatedadjusting arm, and stops upon the casing respectively engaging the lowerclutch member and the adjustable arm, substantially'as set forth.

2. The combination in a door-closing mechanism, with an inclosed casing,of a rotatable spindle therein, a spring connected to reactrespectivelyagainst the casing and the spindle, and an adjustable connection for oneend of said spring, comprising a rotatable attaching-part positionedwholly within the casing and connected with the spring, a co-acting armmovable with relation thereto, means for retaining it in its position ofadjustment, and an internal stop within the casing adapted to be engagedby said arm, substantially as set forth.

3. In a door check and closer, the combination with suitable checkingmeans including a piston, of a spindle connectedto the piston to-actuate the same, a spring connected to said spindle to be actuatedthereby, and an adjustment for said spring, comprising a rotatableattaching-part connected with one end thereof, and a co-acting armrotatably adjustable with respect to the point of connection with thespring, means for retaining said arm in its positions of adjustment, astop against which the arm normally bears, and a casing wherein saidspring, its rotatable attaching part and adjusting arm are positionedsubstantially as set forth.

4. In door check and closer, the combination With a suitable checkingdevice, of a spindle adapted to actuate the same When rotated in eitherdirection, a-casing, a. spring therein indirectly connected With thespindle by clutch mechanism, comprising a dog, a lower clutch memberconnected with the corresponding end of the spring and adapted to berotated by the dog in one direction, and an upper clutch member,comprising a casing-cover connected With the spring, and an adjustingarm associated with said cover, an adjusting detent therefor, and stopsupon the casing adapted respectively to engage the lower clutch memberand the arm of said upper clutch member and prevent them from rotatingin like directions, substantially as set forth.

mmem of tlhdlmi patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Waahinmon, D. C."

5. In an adjusting device for door springs, the combination With arotatable cover-member connected With the spring and adapted to placethe same under tension when rotated in a clockwise direction, of anadjusting arm independently rotatable with respect to said cover-member,an adjusting detent therefor, an independent spring tending to rotatesaid arm in a contraclockwise direction, and a stop-member adapted to beengaged by said arm, substantially asset forth.

Signed at Geneva, Ohio, this 31st day of March 1909.

JOHN HASENPFLUG. Witnesses:

E. W. HASENPFLUG, J G. BROWN.

Commissioner of Patentt,

